We can trace our
origins back to the partnership of Jack Beaumont and D. H. Clarke in the late 1940s. These
gentlemen amassed a large stock of books and magazines and traded in Enfield, north of
London.

By the mid
1950s Jack ran the business as Beaumont Aviation Literature from his home in Russell Lane,
Enfield, later moving to a shop nearby at 2A Ridge Avenue, Winchmore Hill and began to
devote himself full time to the enterprise.

Although there
was not the vast range of titles on the subject that we are accustomed to today, trade was
brisk with Putnam and MacDonald titles that are rarities today.

In 1964 Jack
moved the business to 11 Bath Street, London EC1. Jack opened the new shop six days a week
with Phillip Jarrett as his assistant. The shop became a Mecca and meeting place for
enthusiasts, some club meetings taking place down in the cellar amid the thousands of
magazine back issues.

With the
expiry of the lease in 1974, we moved to Holloway Road, North London and about that time
changed our name to The Aviation Bookshop. Jack retired in 1989 and sold the business to
his manager, David Hatherell. Jack Beaumont died in June 2000.

The business
continue to prosper and David, who had been in the business since 1964, continued as the
working proprietor until his retirement in 2003 when he sold the business to his able
assistant, Simon Watson, the new boy, who'd had a mere 16 years experience at the time.

2004 saw the
latest development in the history of the business with a move out of London to Kent. We
believe that the newly refurbished shop premises close to Tunbridge Wells station, with
multi-story car park facilities directly opposite (see MAP), should prove more
convenient for the majority of our regular visitors.

The new
millenium may bring many changes and we plan to expand our long established tradition of
supplying books, magazines, videos, multimedia and photos on aviation, in all its many
aspects, from around the world.

We continue to
be at the service of all aviation enthusiasts and hope that our expertise may be of help.